arXiv subjects

Jed McKinney

Publications and source records attributed to Jed McKinney.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

Expanding the High-z Supernova Frontier: "Wide-Area" JWST Discoveries from the First Two Years of COSMOS-Web

Transient astronomy in the early Universe (z > 2) remains largely unexplored, lying beyond the rest-frame optical spectroscopic reach of most current observatories. Yet this regime promises transformative insights, with high-redshift transients providing direct access to the early Universe and enabling studies of how stellar populations and cosmology evolve over cosmic time. JWST is uniquely equipped to probe these redshifts efficiently in the rest-frame optical and near-IR. We present results from an initial pathfinder search, covering an area of ~133 arcmin^2 (~0.037 deg^2) independently imaged by the PRIMER and COSMOS-Web (hereafter COSMOS) extragalactic surveys. Although neither program was designed for time-domain astronomy, combining their data results in difference images separated by roughly one year, leading to the discovery of 68 supernovae (SNe) with host photometric redshifts reaching z < 5. For most SNe, only a single epoch is available, but the combination of host redshift, classification, color, and magnitude enables us to prioritize candidates for detailed photometric and spectroscopic follow-up. Among the most notable sources are a relatively bright, blue CCSN at z > 3 (SN 2023aeab) and a young, normal SN Ia at z > 2 (SN 2023aeax). The sample distribution highlights the increasing likelihood that a wide-area JWST program can uncover younger, bluer, and potentially more extreme explosions. While this pathfinder effort is limited in cadence and number of filters, it demonstrates the strong potential of a dedicated, well-planned time-domain survey with JWST to obtain the sample sizes and rate measurements needed to chart SN populations deep into the early Universe.

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arXiv2026

COSMOS-Web: Estimating Physical Parameters of Galaxies Using Self-Organizing Maps

The COSMOS-Web survey, with its unparalleled combination of multiband data, notably, near-infrared imaging from JWST's NIRCam (F115W, F150W, F277W, and F444W), provides a transformative dataset down to $\sim28$ mag (F444W) for studying galaxy evolution. In this work, we employ Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs), an unsupervised machine learning method, to estimate key physical parameters of galaxies -- redshift, stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), specific SFR (sSFR), and age -- directly from photometric data out to $z=3.5$. SOMs efficiently project high-dimensional galaxy color information onto 2D maps, showing how physical properties vary among galaxies with similar spectral energy distributions. We first validate our approach using mock galaxy catalogs from the HORIZON-AGN simulation, where the SOM accurately recovers the true parameters, demonstrating its robustness. Applying the method to COSMOS-Web observations, we find that the SOM delivers robust estimates despite the increased complexity of real galaxy populations. Performance metrics ($σ_{\mathrm{NMAD}}$ typically between $0.1$--$0.3$, and Pearson correlation between $0.7$ and $0.9$) confirm the precision of the method, with $\sim$ $70\%$ of predictions within 1$σ$ dex of reference values. Although redshift estimation in COSMOS-Web remains challenging (median $σ_{\mathrm{NMAD}} = 0.04$), the overall success of the highlights its potential as a powerful and interpretable tool for galaxy parameter estimation. A key advance of this work is the use of JWST/NIRCam photometry, particularly the F444W band, which enhances SOM training and allows more accurate estimation of stellar mass, SFR, and age compared to previous studies using IRAC/Spitzer filters.

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arXiv2026

GLIMPSE-DDT spectroscopic properties of faint-end galaxies at $z\sim6$: Towards first metal enrichment, dust production, and ionizing photon production

Ultra-faint galaxies at high-$z$ are fundamental elements of the early galaxy assembly, and spectroscopic characterization of this population is essential to understand the earliest galaxy evolution. Leveraging the ultra-deep JWST/NIRCam and NIRSpec observations of a gravitational lensing field of Abell S1063, taken as part of the GLIMPSE survey, we present spectroscopic properties of 16 galaxies fainter than $M_{\rm UV}=-17$ mag, including the metallicity, dust attenuation, and the ionizing photon production efficiency. The emission lines are generally quite strong, roughly half of which cannot be replicated with standard stellar populations and require an extreme ionizing source. We also identify relatively strong [OIII] emission lines from all sample galaxies, which indicates that the low-mass end of the mass-metallicity relation is extended down to $M_\star\sim10^6\ M_\odot$ at $z\sim6$. The strong [OIII] line detection from the lowest-mass galaxy among the sample ($M_\star\sim10^{5.6}\ M_\odot$) stands in contrast to recent reports of extremely metal-poor galaxy candidates at similar mass and redshift, suggesting that there could be two distinct pathways of the earliest metal enrichment as simulations have predicted. Interestingly, we detect both dust attenuation and galactic outflow in one of the sample galaxies with $M_\star=10^{6.6}\ M_\odot$ at $z=5.5$. All the dust, metal, and outflow contents in this galaxy can be consistently explained by supernovae (SNe), indicative of the key roles of SNe in the earliest galaxy assembly such as dust production, metal enrichment, stellar feedback, and baryon cycle.

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arXiv2025

ALMA and JWST Identification of Faint Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies up to z~8

We exploit a new sample of around 400 bright dusty galaxies from the ALMA CHAMPS Large Program, together with the rich JWST multi-band data products in the COSMOS field, to explore and validate new selection methods for identifying dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). Here, we present an effective empirical selection criterion based on a newly defined parameter: I_star = log(M_star) x log(SFR). Incorporating the F277W-F444W color as a second parameter further improves the purity of the selection. We then apply this method to the COSMOS2025 catalog to search for fainter dusty galaxy candidates below the ALMA CHAMPS detection limit and, through a stacking technique, identify a population of high-redshift (z=6-8) DSFGs with an average flux density of$S_1.2mm = 0.15uJy and a space density of ~6E-6 Mpc^-3. This faint population seems to have been missed by most of the previous submillimeter/millimeter surveys, and ground- and space-based UV-to-NIR surveys. Finally, we discuss the possibility of an evolutionary connection between the z > 10 UV-bright galaxies recently discovered by JWST, the faint dusty z=6-8 galaxies identified here, and the population of z=3-5 massive quiescent galaxies, potentially linked as progenitor-descendant populations based on their abundance, redshifts, and stellar masses.

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arXiv2025

A JWST MIRI LRS Survey of 37 Massive Star-Forming Galaxies and AGN at Cosmic Noon -- Overview and First Results

We present a large spectroscopic survey with \textit{JWST}'s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) targeting $37$ infrared-bright galaxies between $z=0.65-2.46$ with infrared luminosities $\log L_{\rm IR}/L_\odot>11.5$ and $\log M_*/M_\odot=10-11.5$. Targets were taken from a \textit{Spitzer} $24\,μ$m-selected sample with archival spectroscopy from the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) and include a mix of star-forming galaxies and dust-obscured AGN. By combining IRS with the increased sensitivity of LRS, we expand the range of spectral features observed between $5-30\,μ$m for every galaxy in our sample. In this paper, we outline the sample selection, \textit{JWST} data reduction, 1D spectral extraction, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature measurements from $λ_{rest}=3.3-11.2\,μ$m. In the \textit{JWST} spectra, we detect PAH emission features at $3.3-5.3\,μ$m, as well as Paschen and Brackett lines. The $3.3\,μ$m feature can be as bright as $1\%$ of the $8-1000\,μ$m infrared luminosity and exhibits a tight correlation with the dust-obscured star-formation rate. We detect absorption features from CO gas, CO$_2$ ice, H$_2$O ice, and aliphatic dust. From the joint \textit{JWST} and \textit{Spitzer} analysis we find that the $11.3/3.3\,μ$m PAH ratios are on-average three times higher than that of local luminous, infrared galaxies. This is interpreted as evidence that the PAH grains are larger at $z\sim1-2$. The size distribution may be affected by coagulation of grains due to high gas densities and low temperatures. These conditions are supported by the observation of strong water ice absorption at $3.05\,μ$m, and can lower stellar radiative feedback as large PAHs transmit less energy per photon into the interstellar medium.

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arXiv2025

SCUBADive II: Searching for $z>4$ Dust-Obscured Galaxies via F150W-Dropouts in COSMOS-Web

The relative fraction of obscured galaxies at $z>4$ compared to lower redshifts remains highly uncertain as accurate bookkeeping of the dust-obscured component proves difficult. We address this shortcoming with SCUBADive, a compilation of the JWST counterparts of (sub-)millimeter galaxies in COSMOS-Web, in order to further analyze the distribution and properties of massive dust-obscured galaxies at early times. In this paper, we present a subset of SCUBADive, focusing on 60 ``dark'' galaxies that dropout at 1.5\micron. Motivated by JWST observations of AzTECC71, a far-infrared bright F150W-dropout with $z_{\rm phot}=5.7^{+0.8}_{-0.7}$, we complete a systematic search of F150W-dropouts with SCUBA-2 and ALMA detections to find more candidate high redshift dusty galaxies. Within our subsample, 16 are most similar to AzTECC71 due to fainter F444W magnitudes ($>24$\,mag) and lack of counterparts in COSMOS2020. Despite high star formation rates ($\langle$SFR$\rangle=450^{+920}_{-320}$\,\mdot\,yr$^{-1}$) and large stellar masses ($\langle$log$_{10}$(\mstar)$\rangle=11.2^{+0.5}_{-0.6}$\,\mdot) on average, these galaxies may not be particularly extreme for their presumed epochs according to offsets from the main sequence. We find that heavily obscured galaxies, which would be missed by pre-JWST optical imaging campaigns, comprise $\gtrsim20$\% of galaxies across mass bins and potentially contribute up to 60\% at the very high mass end (log$_{10}$(\mstar/\mdot)$>11.5$) of the $z>4$ stellar mass function.

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arXiv2025

Under the glare of a luminous quasar, the FIR continuum is still an excellent tracer of the ISM down to the central kiloparsec

Contamination-free assessments of the interstellar medium and star formation in quasar host galaxies, particularly based on the far-infrared, offer insights into the role of supermassive black holes in galaxy evolution. Motivated by predictions of quasar heating of dust on both nuclear and galaxy-wide scales, we perform two-component (host galaxy + point source) modeling of high-resolution (~0.1") ALMA observations of the FIR continuum in Band 5 (lambda_rest~500 um) of three highly luminous quasars (L_bol~10^47 erg/s), powered by supermassive black holes having M_BH~10^9 M_sun, at z=2. We include Band 9 (lambda_rest~154 um; 0.06" and 0.3") data at high S/N which places further constraints on the unresolved nuclear component in two cases. To break the degeneracy between quasar and stellar heating, we use CO (J=5-4), observed in Band 5, to gauge the expected contribution of star formation to the infrared luminosity. We find very good agreement between the strength and spatial distribution of the extended continuum component and its prediction based on CO (J=5-4). This is supported by the location of our three quasars along the L_(CO 5-4)-L_(IR, SFR) luminosity relation for inactive star-forming galaxies. As a consequence, there is no evidence for additional continuum emission on extended scales which could be attributed to quasar-heated dust. As expected, the nuclear (i.e., torus) contribution is present and subdominant (12% in Band 9 for one quasar with a typical star-forming host) or non-existent (<8% in Band 9 for the starbursting host). Based on the continuum and CO, the presence of substantial levels of ongoing star formation agrees with previous estimates from unresolved ALMA continuum observations which finds SFRs consistent with star-forming main-sequence galaxies. Therefore, our results do not provide evidence for a quasar-mode feedback, even for the most luminous cases at z=2.

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arXiv2025

JWST+ALMA reveal the ISM kinematics and stellar structure of MAMBO-9, a merging pair of DSFGs in an overdense environment at $z=5.85$

We present high-resolution ALMA [CII] 158 micron observations and JWST/NIRCam+MIRI imaging of MAMBO-9, a pair of optically-dark, dusty star-forming galaxies at $z=5.85$. MAMBO-9 is among the most massive, gas-rich, and actively star-forming galaxies at this epoch, when the Universe was less than 1 Gyr old. The new, 400 pc-resolution [CII] observations reveal velocity gradients in both objects; we estimate dynamical masses and find a relative mass ratio of 1:5. The kinematics of both objects suggest both rotation and strong tidal interaction, suggesting that the pair has already experienced a close encounter. Indeed, the new JWST imaging reveals a continuous bridge of moderately dust-obscured material between the two. We perform spatially-resolved SED fitting using the high-resolution ALMA+JWST imaging, finding that the majority of recent star-formation is concentrated in extremely obscured ($A_V > 10$) clouds, while the majority of rest-optical light (stellar continuum and H$α$ emission) is emergent from moderate-to-highly obscured ($A_V\sim 1$-$5$) regions on the outskirts. Combining our new stellar and dynamical mass measurements with previous CO observations, we find that the mass budget of MAMBO-9 requires a CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor ($α_{\rm CO}$) of roughly unity, indicative of a highly metal-enriched ISM. Finally, we show that MAMBO-9 resides in a large overdensity spanning the PRIMER-COSMOS field, with 39 galaxies spectroscopically confirmed within $\sim 25$ cMpc. With a total baryonic mass $\sim 10^{11}\,M_\odot$, MAMBO-9 can be considered a prototype of massive galaxy formation and likely progenitor of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the lower-redshift Universe.

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arXiv2025

A PAH deficit in the starburst core of a distant spiral galaxy

We present high-resolution and spatially-matched observations with JWST and ALMA of a starburst galaxy (PACS-830) at $z=1.46$. The NIRCam observations mainly trace the stellar light while the CO ($J$=5--4) observations map the dense molecular gas at kpc scales. Both datasets reveal the morphology to be that of a gas/dust rich bulge with two extending arms, together resembling a grand-design spiral galaxy. The more pronounced arm contributes 21 $\pm$ 6\% of the total CO emission. These results demonstrate that starburst activity at high redshift can be triggered, without undergoing a highly disruptive major merger. We assess the strength and distribution of star formation using two tracers: (1) Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) emission detected at $8~μ$m ($L_8$) with a MIRI/F1800W image, and (2) $L_\mathrm{IR}$, inferred from the CO ($J$=5--4) map. The spatial profiles of the $L_\mathrm{IR}$ and $L_8$ are dissimilar, thus leading to a significant deficit of mid-IR ($L_8$) emission in the nucleus. We hypothesize that this is due to the destruction of PAH molecules by the intense ionizing radiation field or decreased emission in the photodissociation region, as seen in nearby star-forming regions and consistent with the galaxy-wide properties of distant starbursts. This study reveals spatial variations in the $L_8$ to $L_\mathrm{IR}$ ratio for the first time at $z>1$, in agreement with expectations from theory. Our analysis underscores the pivotal role of joint high-resolution observations with JWST and ALMA in discerning the different phases of the interstellar medium (ISM) and revealing internal physics in galaxy substructures.

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arXiv2025

COSMOS Web: Morphological quenching and size-mass evolution of brightest group galaxies from z = 3.7

We present a comprehensive study of the structural evolution of Brightest Group Galaxies (BGGs) from redshift $z \simeq 0.08$ to $z = 3.7$ using the \textit{James Webb Space Telescope}'s 255h COSMOS-Web program. This survey provides deep NIRCam imaging in four filters (F115W, F150W, F277W, F444W) across $\sim 0.54~\mathrm{deg}^2$ and MIRI coverage in $\sim 0.2~\mathrm{deg}^2$ of the COSMOS field. High-resolution NIRCam imaging enables robust size and morphological measurements, while multiwavelength photometry yields stellar masses, SFRs, and Sérsic parameters. We classify BGGs as star-forming and quiescent using both rest-frame NUV--$r$--$J$ colors and a redshift-dependent specific star formation rate (sSFR) threshold. Our analysis reveals: (1) quiescent BGGs are systematically more compact than their star-forming counterparts and exhibit steeper size--mass slopes; (2) effective radii evolve as $R_e \propto (1+z)^{-α}$, with $α= 1.11 \pm 0.07$ (star-forming) and $1.40 \pm 0.09$ (quiescent); (3) star formation surface density ($Σ_{\mathrm{SFR}}$) increases with redshift and shows stronger evolution for massive BGGs ($\log_{10}(M_\ast/M_\odot) \geq 10.75$); (4) in the $Σ_*$--sSFR plane, a structural transition marks the quenching process, with bulge-dominated systems comprising over 80\% of the quiescent population. These results highlight the co-evolution of structure and star formation in BGGs, shaped by both internal and environmental processes, and establish BGGs as critical laboratories for studying the baryonic assembly and morphological transformation of central galaxies in group-scale halos.

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arXiv2025

The COSMOS-Web deep galaxy group catalog up to $z=3.7$

Galaxy groups with $M_{tot} \lesssim 10^{14}$ $M_\odot$ and up to a few tens of members are the most common galaxy environment, marking the transition between field and massive clusters. Identifying groups plays a crucial role in understanding structure formation and galaxy evolution. Modern deep surveys allow us to build well-characterized samples of groups up to the regime where structures were taking shape. We aimed to build the largest deep catalog of galaxy groups to date over the COSMOS-Web field effective area of 0.45 deg$^2$, leveraging the deep high quality data of the new COSMOS-Web photometric catalog resulted from the James Webb Space Telescope observations of the COSMOS-Web field. We performed the group search with the AMICO algorithm, a linear matched filter based on an analytical model for the group signal. AMICO has already been tested in wide and deep field surveys, including COSMOS data up to $z=2$. In this work, we tested the algorithm performances at even higher redshift and searched for protocluster cores at $z>2$. We compiled a list of known protoclusters in COSMOS at $2 \leq z \leq 3.7$, matched them with our detections and studied the clustering of the detected cores. We estimated purity and completeness of our sample by creating data-driven mocks with the SinFoniA code and linked signal-to-noise to purity. We detected 1678 groups in the COSMOS-Web field up to $z=3.7$, including lists of members extending nearly two magnitudes deeper than the previous AMICO-COSMOS catalog. 756 groups were detected with purity of 80\%. More than 500 groups have their redshift confirmed by assigning spectroscopic counterparts. This group catalog offers a unique opportunity to explore galaxy evolution in different environments spanning $\sim$12 Gyr and to study groups, from the least rich population to the formation of the most massive clusters.

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arXiv2025

COSMOS-Web: Comprehensive Data Reduction for Wide-Area JWST NIRCam Imaging

We present the data reduction methodology used for the COSMOS-Web survey JWST NIRCam data. Covering 0.54 deg^2 with four broadband filters (F115W, F150W, F277W, F444W) and a total exposure time of approximately 270 hours, COSMOS-Web represents the largest contiguous field surveyed during JWST Cycle 1, posing unique data reduction challenges due to its extensive scale. By combining the official JWST Calibration Pipeline with custom improvements for noise removal, background subtraction, and astrometric alignment, we achieve high fidelity science-ready mosaics. We detail the systematic approach employed in the three stages of the JWST Calibration Pipeline. The data, collected in three epochs from January 2023 to January 2024, encompass 152 visits and have been processed into 20 mosaic tiles to optimize computational efficiency and data processing. The final data products achieve 5 sigma depths of 26.7-28.3 AB mag in 0.15" apertures. The processed and calibrated datasets are made available to the public.

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arXiv2025

COSMOS-Web: MIRI Data Reduction and Number Counts at 7.7$μ$m using JWST

The COSMOS-Web survey is the largest JWST Cycle 1 General Observer program covering a contiguous ~0.54 deg$^2$ area with NIRCam imaging in four broad-band filters and a non-contiguous ~0.2 deg$^2$ with parallel MIRI imaging in a single broad-band filter, F770W. Here we present a comprehensive overview of the MIRI imaging observations, the data reduction procedure, the COSMOS-Web MIRI photometric catalog, and the first data release including the entire COSMOS-Web MIRI coverage. Data reduction is predominantly based on the JWST Science Calibration Pipeline with an additional step involving custom background subtraction to mitigate the presence of strong instrumental features and sky background in the MIRI images. We reach 5$σ$ (point source) limiting depths ($m_{F770W}$~25.51 based on $r$~0.3'' circular apertures) that are significantly better than initial expectations. We create a COSMOS-Web MIRI catalog based on the images presented in this release and compare the F770W flux densities with the Spitzer/IRAC CH4 measurements from the COSMOS2020 catalog for CH4 detections with S/N $>5$. We find that these are in reasonable agreement with a small median offset of $<0.05$ mag. We also derive robust 7.7$μ$m number counts spanning five orders of magnitude in flux ($\sim$0.2-2300 $μ$Jy) $\unicode{x2013}$ making COSMOS-Web the only JWST survey to date to efficiently sample such a large flux range $\unicode{x2013}$ which is in good agreement with estimates from other JWST and IRAC surveys.

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arXiv2025

An upper limit of 10$^6$ M$_\odot$ in dust from ALMA observations in 60 Little Red Dots

By virtue of their red color, the dust in little red dots (LRDs) has been thought to be of appreciable influence, whether that dust is distributed in a torus around a compact active galactic nucleus (AGN) or diffuse in the interstellar medium (ISM) of nascent galaxies. In Casey et al. (2024) we predicted that, based on the compact sizes of LRDs (unresolved in JWST NIRCam imaging), detection of an appreciable dust mass would be unlikely. Here we present follow-up ALMA 1.3mm continuum observations of a sample of 60 LRDs drawn from Akins et al. (2024). None of the 60 LRDs are detected in imaging that reaches an average depth of $σ_{rms}=22\,μJy$. A stack of the 60 LRDs also results in a non-detection, with an inverse-variance weighted flux density measurement of $S_{1.3mm}=2.1\pm2.9\,μJy$. This observed limit translates to a 3$σ$ upper limit of 10$^6$ M$_\odot$ in LRDs' dust mass, and $\lesssim10^{11}$ L$_\odot$ in total dust luminosity; both are a factor of 10$\times$ deeper than previous submm stack limits for LRDs. These results are consistent with either the interpretation that LRDs are reddened due to compact but modest dust reservoirs (with $A_{V}\sim2-4$) or, alternatively, that instead of being reddened by dust, they have extreme Balmer breaks generated by dense gas ($>10^{9}\,cm^{-3}$) enshrouding a central black hole.

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arXiv2025

Tracing the galaxy-halo connection with galaxy clustering in COSMOS-Web from z = 0.1 to z ~ 12

We explore the evolving relationship between galaxies and their dark matter halos from $z \sim 0.1$ to $z \sim 12$ using mass-limited angular clustering measurements in the 0.54 deg$^2$ of the COSMOS-Web survey. This study provides the first measurements of the mass-limited two-point correlation function at $z \ge 10$ and a consistent analysis spanning 13.4 Gyr of cosmic history, setting new benchmarks for future simulations and models. Using a halo occupation distribution (HOD) framework, we derive characteristic halo masses and the stellar-to-halo mass relationship (SHMR) across redshifts and stellar mass bins. Our results first indicate that HOD models fit data at $z \ge 2.5$ best when incorporating a non-linear scale-dependent halo bias, boosting clustering at non-linear scales (r = 10-100 kpc). We find that galaxies at z > 10.5 with $\log(M_\star / M_\odot) \ge 8.85$ are hosted by halos with $M_{\rm h} \sim 10^{10.5}\,M_\odot$, achieving a star formation efficiency (SFE) $M_\star / (f_b M_{\rm h}) $ up to 1 dex higher than at $z \le 1$. The high galaxy bias at $z \ge 8$ suggests that these galaxies reside in massive halos with intrinsic high SFE. Our SHMR evolves significantly with redshift, starting high at $z \ge 10.5$, decreasing until $z \sim 2 - 3$, then increasing again until the present. Current simulations fail to reproduce both massive high-$z$ galaxies and this evolution, while semi-empirical models linking SFE to halo mass, accretion rates, and redshift align with our findings. We propose that $z > 8$ galaxies experience bursty star formation without significant feedback altering their growth, driving the rapid growth of massive galaxies observed by JWST. Over time, increasing feedback efficiency and exponential halo growth suppress star formation. At $z \sim 2 - 3$ and after, halo growth slows down while star formation continues, supported by gas reservoirs in halos.

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arXiv2025

Modeling Galaxies in the Early Universe with Supernova Dust Attenuation

Supernova may be the dominant channel by which dust grains accumulate in galaxies during the first Gyr of cosmic time as formation channels important for lower redshift galaxies, e.g., AGB stars and grain growth, may not have had sufficient time to take over. Supernovae (SNe) produce fewer small grains, leading to a flatter attenuation law. In this work, we fit observations of 138 spectroscopically confirmed $z>6$ galaxies adopting standard spectral energy distribution modeling assumptions and compare standard attenuation law prescriptions to a flat attenuation law. Compared to SMC dust, flat attenuation close to what may be expected from dust produced in SNe yields up to $0.5$ mag higher $A_V$, and $0.4$ dex larger stellar masses. It also finds better fits to the rest-frame UV photometry with lower $χ^2_{\rm UV}$, allowing the observed UV luminosities taken from the models to be fainter by $0.2$ dex on average. The systematically fainter observed UV luminosities for fixed observed photometry could help resolve current tension between the ionizing photon production implied by \textit{JWST} observations and the redshift evolution of the neutral hydrogen fraction. Given these systematic effects and the physical constraint of cosmic time itself, fairly flat attenuation laws that could represent the properties of dust grain produced by SNe should be a standard consideration in fitting to the spectral energy distributions of $z>6$ galaxies.

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arXiv2025

Halfway to the Peak: ice absorption bands at $z\approx0.5$ with JWST MIRI/MRS

This paper presents the first combined detections of CO$_2$, CO, XCN and water ices beyond the local Universe. We find gas-phase CO in addition to the solid phase CO. Our source, SSTXFLS J172458.3+591545, is a $z=0.494$ star-forming galaxy which also hosts a deeply obscured AGN. The profiles of its ice features are consistent with those of other Galactic and local galaxy sources and the implied ice mantle composition is similar to that of even more obscured sources. The ice features indicate the presence of a compact nucleus in our galaxy and allow us to place constraints on its density and temperature ($n>10^5$cm$^{-3}$ and $T=20-90K$). We infer the visual extinction towards this nucleus to be $A_V\approx6-7$. An observed plot of $τ_{Si}$ vs. $τ_{CO2}/τ_{Si}$ can be viewed as a probe for both the total dustiness of a system as well as the clumpiness of the dust along the line of sight. This paper highlights the potential of using {\sl JWST} MIRI spectra to study the dust composition and geometric distribution of sources beyond the local Universe.

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arXiv2025

Tentative detection of neutral gas in a Little Red Dot at $z=4.46$

JWST has revealed a population of broad-line active galactic nuclei at $z>4$ with remarkably red colors, so-called "Little Red Dots." Ubiquitous Balmer breaks suggest that they harbor old stellar populations in massive, compact host galaxies. We present ALMA observations of three LRDs at $z=3.10$, $4.46$, and $7.04$, targeting molecular and neutral gas via CO(7-6) and [CI](2-1), respectively. We do not detect CO in any target, placing conservative limits on the host molecular gas mass $\lesssim 1$-$5\times10^{10}$ M$_\odot$. We report the tentative ($4.9σ$) detection of the [CI](2-1) line in A2744-45924 ($z=4.46$), one of the brightest known LRDs. The [CI] line is narrow (FWHM $\sim 80$ km s$^{-1}$), implying a dynamical mass $\lesssim 10^{10}$ M$_\odot$, adopting conservative limits for the galaxy size. The dynamical mass limit is significantly lower than expected from the local $M_{\rm BH}$-$M_{\rm dyn}$ relation, and is an order of magnitude below the stellar mass derived from SED fitting, potentially supporting a non-stellar origin of the Balmer break. These results, while tentative, paint a picture of LRDs that is markedly different than typical high-$z$ quasars, which live in massive, gas-rich, and actively star-forming host galaxies.

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